It is an honor to speak to all of you today. Let me start of by scrambling all four years of our University life into a few minutes.
Four years ago, and even now,
When Mr. Dan tried to explain us the brutal scientific theories, we would all together be counting the number of voice cracks he made. When Mr. Ashok told us to write down the formulas that he wrote on the board, we would ignore him and take a picture of it instead. When Mr. Bob passionately explained economics to us, we would all be finding the best positions to sleep and not get caught. When Mr. Randy showed us serious religious videos, we would all be accusing each other of wrongdoing to give each other a STRIKE, basically a punishment. When Mr. Joseph tried to teach us ICT, we would all be secretly playing games with our Blackberries and iPhones, but eventually would get caught and receive the harshest punishments in the world—for example, becoming a Justin Bieber fan in a single second. When Mr. Jared and Mr. Ray emphasized the importance of punctuality, we would all still be late for every single meeting. Most importantly, when Mr. Nuccio tried so hard to compare a hamburger to a 500-page book, we would all be staring at his astonishing, colorful pants.
Yes, this was who we were, and in some ways not much has changed in four years. But this is how things are different: Four years ago we were excited, but had no idea about the implications of the journey we were about to begin. We had no idea that after 9th grade there would be 10th grade and 11th grade and so on. We were just excited to be in high school. However, today, we know that we are standing on the brink of a future that is the rest of our lives. As a performer, I am inspired by one of the greatest American playwrights, Wendy Wasserstein. She said, “Don’t live down to expectations. Go out there and do something remarkable.”
Dear fellow graduates, we come into this world under the care and guidance of parents and teachers who know so much about us that they sometimes have their own ideas about who we should be. They want what's best for us because they love us and want us to be successful. While some expectations are good, it is important for graduates to follow their own dreams and create lives that they will truly be happy with, regardless of what well-meaning friends and family may think. Ultimately, it is your life to live...while it is good to listen to sound advice, don't let someone else dictate how you live it.
Before I move on, let’s all give a round of applause to everyone who has been a great support in our lives—our parents, teachers, friends, and even ourselves. With the support of all these people, I know that the Class of 2012 will have many different opportunities. But no matter how you live your life, I want you to be the best at it. So from here onward, be the best at whatever you do, because I know our future is SO BRIGHT. Yes, that’s right everyone! Our future is SO BRIGHT, WE HAVE TO WEAR SUNGLASSES! [Admin note: The Class of 2012 stood and faced the audience at this point, all of them wearing sunglasses.]
Thank you.